November 3, 2025 | SIGN UP

Sara Jerde

Sara Jerde
DIGIDAY, MANAGING EDITOR

The AI search era is rewiring the goal from ranking to visibility, and publishers are slowly refining their playbooks. Meanwhile, brands and marketers are adjusting their tactics for discoverability too.

Meanwhile, Forbes is using ChatGPT referral data to create audience cohorts and here’s an explainer of mythbusters when it comes to AI. Lastly, to provide some clarity to this space — here’s how agencies, publishers and platforms are actually using AI agents.

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Top stories

Ranking is out, visibility is in as publishers chip away at AI search optimization

In the AI era, measuring pageviews isn't enough — publishers need a new metrics stack that tracks how they are cited in AI engines and ties it all to clicks and revenue.

How AI is rewriting the rules of search and shopping – by the numbers

As AI transforms the way people search and shop online, marketers are racing to adapt, but fragmented tech stacks and unclear metrics are slowing them down.

PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM MARIGOLD

Guide: The state of subscriber engagement for media and publishing

Publishers have a wealth of data from their audience and subscribers. But as ad models shift amid economic uncertainty and the rise of AI, they face challenges turning that data into sustainable revenue. This State of the Industry report covers how publishers are growing their subscriber bases and the challenges they're encountering along the way.

How Forbes is using ChatGPT referral data to create audience cohorts

Semrush and Similarweb provide information, including the prompts that led an AI platform user to click through to a publisher’s site, that Forbes is able to use to learn more about its AI-referred audience’s interests.

A MESSAGE FROM TINUITI

Why marketers need to stop treating waste as taboo

Too often, waste is treated like a bad word, rather than asking if it’s the cost of growth or a line item the team has learned to ignore. Every marketing budget should have waste in it; otherwise, the team isn’t creating the conditions where something new and valuable can emerge.

AI slop myths, debunked: What’s harmful, what’s hype, what’s just meh

AI slop has become a catch-all for low-quality AI content, because it’s fast, sticky shorthand. But that convenience hides the nuances that are emerging.

How agencies, publishers and platforms are actually using AI agents

Agencies, platforms and publishers weigh in on whether AI agents deliver, or if they’re just jam tomorrow.

PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM META

This holiday season, brands are turning to Meta to capture consumer attention

According to a 2024 holiday shopping study by YouGov, commissioned by Meta, 58% of shoppers said Meta is likely to influence their purchases compared to YouTube (46%) and TikTok (38%).

Other things to know

PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM ADSTRA

Why composability matters when consolidating the identity stack

Brands often prioritize comprehensive coverage when they consolidate their identity stacks. But no single provider can meet every need. A composable partner is essential to provide modular capabilities that integrate into existing infrastructures — addressing specific needs, filling functional gaps and supporting future use cases.